Chapter 121: Academy Dean Qi Daobei

"Expel him? How dare he challenge the authority of the Heavenly Book Academy! We don't know who put him up to this, but if you ask me, we should execute him immediately to set an example!"

At this moment, another burly middle-aged man stood up, his tiger-like eyes burning with murderous intent.

"If the lad could bypass the inspection, that is his own capability. We can only blame the academy's inspection team for being lax; it has nothing to do with the boy. In my view, he is a promising talent!"

Seeing the burly man stand, a gentle and refined scholar sitting opposite him shook his head and said, "What does the trial space test? Beyond temperament, methods, strength, and leadership, it also prizes destiny and opportunity."

"Exactly. Why choose that location for the trial? Isn't it because many powerful figures passed away there, leaving behind countless inheritances? We hope that late-blooming youths can quickly catch up through these inheritances. Furthermore, we planted many points within those legacies without informing the candidates beforehand, specifically for those with good fortune to discover. Let us see who can claim them!"

Hearing the scholar’s words, a gorgeous middle-aged woman stood up, her fiery red robes accentuating her perfect, alluring figure.

"Indeed. They are all destined for the battlefield. Temperament and strength are crucial, but isn't it also about their fortune, or perhaps their luck?"

An elder picked up the conversation: "If your luck is poor, no matter how strong, capable, or resilient you are, you will die if you are surrounded by an army led by an overwhelming force. We are not just selecting students for this term; we are selecting the future pillars of the Kingdom!"

"Bullshit! Pillars? Pillars are forged in battle, not through underhanded tricks and surviving by blowing up a dam! If he hadn't violated the rules by bringing that powerful crystal, he would have been eliminated already. What kind of 'pillar' is that?"

The burly man was furious, pointing at the elder’s nose. "I think you’ve gone senile. You call this a pillar? Then what of my nephew, who possesses the strength of the Pulse-Opening Realm? A sky-supporting pillar?! And what about the families behind those ten thousand students?"

"Sun Wu has a point. Among those thousands of students, many were mauled by beasts. How do we settle this account? While their families may not compare to our Heavenly Book Academy, if ten thousand families unite, even we would have to provide an explanation. Perhaps we should do as Sun Wu suggests?!"

"I agree!"
"I disagree!"
"I object!"
"Agreed!"

"Go to hell with your nonsense! Are we to abandon a talented student just because we fear those families?"

"Then what do you propose we do?!"

This was a secret chamber within the Heavenly Book Academy, where two or three dozen middle-aged and elderly men and women sat around a long table, arguing until their faces were flushed red.

*Thump, thump, thump!*

At the end of the table sat an elder, somewhat hunched. Hearing the clamor of the two or three dozen people, he showed no anger, but he struck his staff hard against the floor.

Instantly, the arguing ceased, dropping from a boil to freezing point.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, the elder spoke slowly: "This little fellow named Lin Fan is indeed extraordinary. Being able to bypass the inspection team's screening is a form of ability. It is your incompetence; do not blame him."

"Furthermore, since he was able to bring the item in, using it is beyond reproach. Blowing up the Eternal Dam and utilizing the floodwaters and the beasts to eliminate over ten thousand students—that is a display of boldness worthy of great things. If he remains among the top five thousand after the ranking battle, the Heavenly Book Academy shall accept him and nurture him with all our might!"

Upon hearing this, no one at the table dared to argue. It was not that some did not want to; they simply dared not.

For the elder who spoke was the Dean of the Heavenly Book Academy, the strongest expert in the Ice and Snow Kingdom, a peak River Realm powerhouse: Qi Daobei!

Within the Heavenly Book Academy, his words were imperial decrees; his decisions were absolute.

In the entire Kingdom, his voice could make the land tremble. He was a figure who could go toe-to-toe with the Emperor, Zhao Tianhong—though, of course, Zhao Tianhong treated him with great respect, for they were fellow disciples!

He was the senior brother, while Zhao Tianhong was the junior.

Qi Daobei had countless disciples; half of the instructors at this table were his students. From this position, he could overlook the entire Kingdom, his influence spreading far and wide.

Hearing his words, no one dared to show defiance. Only Sun Wu’s expression was somewhat sour; his nephew had been certain to become a student of the Academy, but now, that spot was lost.

The quota for this term was exceptionally important, concerning the future pillars of the Kingdom and potentially elevating the Sun family. He was deeply unwilling.

"Enough, Sun Wu. Drop that look. Your nephew is a genius; he will receive careful cultivation at the other four academies. When the time comes for the inter-academy competition, he will have his chance to prove himself."

"However, as an instructor, you must not lose your impartiality. Remember, you are an instructor of the Heavenly Book Academy first, and a member of the Sun family second. If you act out of line, consider the consequences!"

"If you lose, you must accept it!"

Qi Daobei glanced at Sun Wu. He understood his thoughts perfectly but chose not to expose him; some things were best left hinted at. If Lin Fan became a student and Sun Wu targeted him, Qi would not let him off.

"Yes, I understand!" Sun Wu sighed helplessly. He knew that with the Dean’s final word, his nephew’s chance was gone. He had intended to use Lin Fan's cheating as leverage to secure a spot for his nephew, but the Dean had seen through it all.

"The future course of the Kingdom, its future winds and clouds—all depend on this batch of students at the Heavenly Book Academy. Whether they are from the trial space, the second year, or the third year, I hope you will cultivate them with care, without bias or unfairness. Do you understand?!"

Finally, Qi Daobei settled the matter and looked at the group.

"We understand!"

***

Deep in the dense forest, Lin Fan sat cross-legged. Looking at the eight people in front of him, he said, "Now that the ranking battle has begun, we don't need to participate too much. With our current points, we will pass the test even if we don't make another move."

"During this month, I will guide your cultivation, help you clarify your paths, and answer all your questions!"

Hearing this, Ou Hu scratched his head and asked, "But Brother Fan, even if we don't seek them out, they will come for us! Didn't the academy say points are crucial? At this final stage, they will surely fight to snatch them. What do we do then?"

"He's right. The so-called elimination round is really aimed at the weak or those with few points. Once the strong have no fear of elimination, they only want to hoard more points to distinguish themselves in the academy," Qian Jin added, rubbing his chubby chin. "We are a fat target. Our combined points total fifty thousand, and they think we are weak—mostly at the peak of the Qi-Induction Realm, with only Brother Fan at the Pulse-Opening Realm. They believe we only eliminated those thousands because of Brother Fan’s treasure. It’s hard to imagine them resisting the temptation to attack us."

"That’s true. Most importantly, they surely know from the spectators that we were injured while blowing up the dam. Even if they could resist the temptation before, they won't be able to now," Sun Hao said, carefully cleaning the strings of his zither, inch by inch, without raising his head.

Xiao Shuihan sat beside him, a heavy black sword resting across his knees. "Therefore, they will hunt us down. A siege is inevitable."

"It's a pity. If they come, we will cut them down like slicing melons and vegetables!" Li Ji shook his head, then turned to gaze affectionately at Mu Xia, taking her snow-white hand, which made her cheeks flush.

"Because we have not only recovered our strength, but we have also broken through!" Shangguan Feihong, sitting on a giant rock and gazing into the distance, suddenly spoke.

At this, everyone smiled. Even the cold-faced Shangguan Feihong, the aloof Lin Hongyi, and the usually calm Lin Fan were no exceptions.

Ou Hu blinked, looking at their expressions, sensing something was off. After a long moment of thought, he finally caught on.

"Damn it, talking to you lot is such a headache! Why couldn't one of you just say that even if they find us, they're no match for us? Why beat around the bush like this? It's brain-draining!" Ou Hu clenched his pot-sized fist and slammed it into the ground, leaving a massive crater.

"Brute!"
"Brainless fool!"
"Stupid pig!"
"Empty-headed!"

Everyone scolded him with disdain, leaving Ou Hu depressed as he slammed his fist into the ground twice more.

Two days had passed since Lin Fan blew up the Eternal Dam. His points had reached over twenty-three thousand, placing him firmly at the top of the leaderboard. After the rankings were revealed, Lin Hongyi was in second place.

Four people from Qingxue County made the list: Lin Fan, Lin Hongyi, Shangguan Feihong, and Sun Hao!

However, what delighted Lin Fan most was his overflowing Negative Emotion Value. Having set a new record, he had accumulated over thirteen million points. This was contributed by the ten thousand students he had eliminated—each had provided at least one thousand points.

Without hesitation, knowing they were all severely injured, Lin Fan chose to draw from the gacha. He had to obtain the Life Elixir; otherwise, with their current injuries, they would be unable to fend off not only the remaining students but even the beasts roaming the dense forest.